Collapsible hollow wall carton



Aug. 31, 1954 z, Y 2,687,839

COLLAPSIBLE HOLLOW WALL CARTON Filed July 22, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HARRY z. GRAY ATTORNEYS A g- 31, 1954 H. z. GRAY 2,687,839 COLLAPSIBLE HOLLOW WALL CARTON Filed July 22, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 42 I 1;::liiilI:l1::

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ATTORNEY g- 31, 1954 H; z. GRAY 2,687,839

COLLAPSIBLE HOLLOW WALL CARTON Filed July 22', 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 24 8 W 24 4| I i 1 42 4 39 "I L H' 9 I 28) lag 20| l 9 F l8 l8-- 34 k2? Ins a4 s4 29 2e 29 2 F 1 r 1 i I as 1 4| 3 s9 42 FIG? ]NVENTOR.. HARRY Z. RAY BY Q41 f ATTORNEYS Aug. 31, 1954 z, GRAY 2,687,839

COLLAPSIBLE HOLLOW WALL CARTON Filed July 22, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. I HARRY z. GRAY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Harry Z. Gray, Lebanon, Ohio Application July 22, 1952,Serial -No. 300,149

2 Claims.

The invention relates I generally to collapsible cartons or boxes which-are-folded or erected from a blank into a-containerhaving a bottom wall and hollow side andend walls with the top open for displaying thecontents of thecarton. More particularly, the invention relates to ahollow walled carton of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 2,148,0 l8, dated February 21,1939, and the present carton embodies improvements over the carton of said patent.

In erecting the carton of my prior patent, when the side and end walls are folded into place, it is necessary to provide a rectangular frame or collar to hold the hollow sideand endwalls toether in rectangular formation, and flaps on the side and end wall members are folded around and interlocked with the frame or-collar. In other prior cartons of thisgeneral type small tabs have been provided on certain wall members for insertion into slots in adjacent walls to interlock the walls.

All of these constructions require skill and patience in erecting the carton from collapsed position because the wall members must befolded upwardly'from the bottom wall, then horizontally inward and then downwardly to form the'hollow wall structure, and adjacent walls-must be held in place with the fingers while the lockingflaps or tabs are inserted to interlock the walls together.

It is an object of the-present invention-to provide an improved collapsiblehollow'wallcarton madefrom a single blank which is easily erected and the Walls locked in place simply by setting up twoopposite walls and folding over the other two opposite walls without requiring insertion of an additional frame member or tabs on one wall into slots in adj acentwalls.

A more specific object is to provide an improved carton in which erection of two opposite walls from collapsed position automatically moves the other two opposite walls into erected position in readiness to be folded into hollow "wall formation.

Another object is to providetwo opposite prefolded walls which form into hollow walls when erected andpull the other two opposite walls into erected position, the pro-folded walls having locking tabs which'are moved into locking position by movingengagement withthe other two opposite walls.

A further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction and the setting UpOI erectingoperation ofcollapsible boxes of the hollow walltype. i

These and other objects are accomplished by the structures, combinations and arrangements comprisin the .present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying .drawings and described herein, various changes and modifications in details of construction being contemplated within thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a planview of the blank from which the improved carton is constructed and erected;

Fig. 2 isa plan view of the blanlrwith the outer flaps of the side walls permanently cemented to marginal portions of the bottom wall, and shown in upright position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View online 3-3, Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing the side walls collapsed after being cemented;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 55, Fig. 4 showing how the outer triangular parts of tabs on the. sidewalls are permanently cemented to the end Walls;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View on line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a plan view similar the side wall partially erected;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on line 3-B, Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section on line.99, Fig.7;

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the side walls fully erected, with one side wall folded into interlocking position and the other unfolded andin upright position;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one end wallin partially folded position;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the finished carton;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary section on line !3l3, Fig. 12, and

Fig. la is a fragmentary section on line [4-44, Fig. 13.

In the blank shown in Fig. l, the rectangular area which is to be-the bottom wall [5 is defined by the score lines -16 which divide the bottom wall from the side wall panels H, and by the score lines is which divide thebottom wall from the end wallpanels I9. The panels ill and [9 are connected at the corners by flaps ill! which have diagonal foldlines 2| extending outwardly from the corners of the bottom wall I5, and the flaps are connected to the adjacent panelsll and l 9 byfoIdlines-ZZ and 23 respectively. Referto Fig. 4, showing ring to Fig. 7, it is seen that when the side wall panels I? and end wall panels l9 are folded upwardly along the score lines I6 and i8, the flaps are folded inwardly bellows-wise with the triangular portions 24 of the flaps lying flatwise against the end panels [9.

The side wall panels ll are connected at their outer edges by fold lines 25 with interspacing strips 23 which form the to connecting webs between the spaced side wall portions of the hollow walls in the finished box shown in Fig. 12. Similarly the end wall panels l9 are connected at their outer edges by fold lines 21 with interspacing strips 28 of the same width as strips 26, which form the top connecting webs between the spaced end wall portions. The strips 26 are provided at their ends with outwardly extending rectangular spacing projections 29, for a purpose to be described.

Another side wall panel 30, which is to become an inner side wall of the finished box, is connected to each interspacing strip 26 by a fold line 31, and a fold-under interspacing strip or flap 32 of the same width as strip 23 is connected to the outer edge of each panel 36 by a fold line 33. Curved tabs 34 are connected to the ends of the panels 33 by fold lines 35, and the tabs 34 are separated from the projections 29 by L-shaped cut edges indicated in full lines at 36. End wall panels 3'! which are to become the inner end walls of the box, are connected to the interspacing strips 23 by fold lines 38, and have fold-under interspacing strips 33 connected to their outer edges by fold lines 40. As shown, V notches 4| are provided at the ends of the fold lines for a purpose to be described. The interspacing strips 28 are beveled at their ends at 42 to form the mitered edges at the corners of the finished box.

Referring to Figs. 2-6, to place the box in fiat condition for shipment and in readiness for easily being erected or set up by the user, the side wall members are pre-folded upwardly and inwardly as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with the panels I1 and 30 in parallel vertical relation and the tuck-under fiaps 32 in abutment with the bottom wall H5. The cut edges 33 permit this folding operation while retaining the projections 29 in the plane of the strips 26. Just prior to this folding operation adhesive indicated at A is applied on the bottom wall which the flaps 32 are to abut, or to the fiaps or to both, so that the flaps become permanently secured to the bottom wall.

After the adhesive has set the tubular side walls are folded bodily inward, in the manner shown in Fig. 8, about the fold lines H5 or side edges of the bottom wall 55 to the flat condition shown in Figs. 4 and 6. During or just prior to this folding operation, adhesive A is applied to the triangular portions 24 of the flaps 23, or to the triangular areas on panels I9 which they are to abut, or both. In other words adhesive A is applied between the triangular portions 24 of the flaps 2t and the end panels I3 when the flaps are folded over the panels l9 along fold lines 23, so that the portions 24 are permanently secured to the panels. Thus, the box is in the fiat collapsed condition of Figs. 4 and 6 for shipment and storage in a small space, and the attachment of the flap portions 24 to the panels l9 aids in temporarily maintaining the box in this condition.

Referring to Figs. 7-14, the manner of erecting the box from its flat shipping position of Fig. 4, to its completed and erected position of Fig. 12, will now be described. The first step is to grasp the flat folded side wall portions along their inner edges and swing or unfold them bodily upwardly and outwardly about the side edges of the bottom wall, as in Fig. 8. Since the flaps 32 are permanently attached to the bottom wall the side wall portions I1, 26, and 30 move together as a unit. Also, since the portions 24 of the flaps 20 are permanently attached to the end wall panels 19, as the side walls swing outwardly they pull inwardly on the end wall panels, causing them to fold inwardly upward on the lines l8 at the end edges of the bottom wall I5, and causing the flaps to fold bellows-wise inwardly along their diagonal fold lines, as clearly shown in Fig. 7.

As the end walls are pulled inwardly by the outward movement of the side walls, the panels 19 slidably engage the ends of the tabs 34 with what may be described as a cam action, as indicated in Figs. 9 and 11, and fold the tabs inwardly about the fold lines 35 where they are connected to the ends of side panels 33. When the side walls have been erected to vertical position, the end walls have approached vertical position as indicated at the left end of Fig. 10.

While holding the side walls in vertical position in his two hands the user next erects the end walls one at a time by folding the panel portions 31 inwardly and downwardly with his fingers in the manner indicated in Fig. 11. The projections 23 on the side walls act as spacers around which the panels 31 are swung downwardly and on which the strips 28 rest when the wall portions it and 31 are vertical as shown in Fig. 14. As the wall panels l9 and 31 approach vertica1 the tabs are moved angularly crosswise of the box as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, with their bottom curved edges forming tapered slots 43 adjacent the bottom wall [5, and the flaps 39 are easily tucked under the tabs through these slots. As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the panels 3'! are held in vertical position by the wedging engagement of the bottom edges of the tabs 34 in the apexes of the notches 4i, and by the abutment of the flaps 33 with the bottom wall It. As previously mentioned, the beveled edges 42 on the end walls give a neat mitered edge appearance to the corners of the box.

The erecting or setting up operation is very simply and conveniently performed without requiring any skill or patience on the part of the operator, because when the side walls are swung outwardly the end walls automatically swing inwardly in close proximity to the side walls, so that they are within easy reach of the fingers while holding the side walls. Moreover, when the end walls are folded inwardly downward, the end flaps 39 are automatically brought into position adjacent the tapered slots for-med by the tabs 34, so that all that is necessary is to push the end Wall panels and flaps 31 outwardly between the side panels 30 and the flaps become locked in place. There is thus no necessity for a separate frame member to hold the side and end walls together in erected position, or to awkwardly manipulate small tabs on the side or end walls into close fitting slots on the adjacent walls.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, various changes and modifications in details of construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collapsible carton having a bottom wall with hollow side and end walls foldably connected thereto and bellows-wise diagonally foldable flaps having triangular portions foldably connected to portions of the side and end walls at theicorners thereof, tuck-under strips on the side walls permanently secured to said bottom wall, the triangular portions of said corner flaps foldably connected to the end walls being permanently secured flatwise to said end walls to raise the end wallsautomatically as the side walls are erected, tabs foldably connected to the ends of the side walls and slidably engaged at their ends by said end walls as they are raised, and tuck-under strips foldably connected to the end walls and having notches at the ends of the fold engaged with the bottom edges of the tabs.

2. In a collapsible calrton having a bottom wall with hollow side and end walls foldably connected thereto and bellows-wise foldable flaps foldably connected to portions of the side and end walls at the corners thereof, strips ioldably connected to the side walls and permanently secured to the bottom wall, the portions of said corner flaps adjoining their foldable connections References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,989,659 Adsit Feb. 5, 1935 2,148,048 Gry Feb. 21, 1939 2,388,243 Arneson Nov. 6, 1945 2,399,649 Marx May 7, 1946 2,444,497 Clarke July 6, 1948 2,581,400 Freel Jan. 8, 1952 

